Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-06-08
AN OLD SLAYER.

In glancing wei the register at the
Crow House on Monday, the eyes of the
Neus man CHANGED to fall upon a name
which read:
John McFall, Alabama.
There was nothing in the name or the
chirography that would attract any par
ticular degree of attention, but the scribe
was on the inside track and accordingly
hunted up the gentleman. He was found
without much effort, and unknown to the
colonel an interview was obtained.
Col. John McFall, formerly Of Cokes-
bury, S. c., is a gentleman 81 years of age,
extremely pleasant in conversation, ana
a man who has a wealth of experience.
Colonel" said the NeUs man, you
were connected with Lamar, were you not,
sometime about in the siXties?"
ooh, yes. | was mixed up with Lamar
in a little trade and traffic with Africa, in
1880"
"You imported slaves, did you not ?"
eyes. There were some 26 parties in
terested in the expedition, some OF New
Orleans, Mobile, Montgomery, Charles
ton, Richmond and other points. l had
charge of the entire affair.
"We boughtthe Wunderer in New York,
and after fitting her out thoroughly we
sent her over after her first cargo OF the
people of color. She was Il daisy, too, l
tell you. She could outsail almost any
thing that foated." -,
Ibid you 60 over with the Vande'er -
1.-THE first trip. That time we brought
over 365 negroes. We landed them at
Thunderbolt, Just four miles below Saran-
nah. That many negroes in those days
meant a great deal of money"
SIIJory did H,ct1 r1oonQOQ IN r1t them
away from Africa without government
interference q"
"That was easy enough. We paid the
niger king, or ruler, s. a head for all we
took away. The way we had to get them
was this: We would build a large stock
ade of the immense bamboo canes, as big
around almost as a mans thigh near the
entrance of this we would spread q kind
of barbecue with plenty of mean whisky
we put plenty Of tobacco INTO this liquor
to sOrter make them sick and all the more
helpless. :a
the mouth of this stockade they would
very often halt, but a few punches with a
sharp zane would get them we'll into the
enclosure.
"Well, after they were we'll under the
influence of the liquor, and perfectly help
less, the niger government would have
them taken on board the WuNderer, and
then collect the So for each one.
1.-THE only danger we had to look GU
for was the wagging of the British Lions
tail. But we got the best of the fiery un-
tanned beast. We had the Unaderer re.
built with water tight compartments, and
a false smoke stack. Whenever a British
er hove in sight we would set the smoke
to coming out of the stack, open n or
two of the water compartments, SO as to
sink the vessel a littlei and 20 on unmo-
Tested. You see that the point was that
no one would ever suspect a steamship OF
carrying slaves"
$50 YOU made the trip all right?"
"Oh, yes, the first one. But the second
one they nipped US. 1 didn't 60 over on
the Wunderer that trip, but took command
of the vessel that was to lighter the ne
groes to shore when the Wan!derer hove in
sight with them.
"Well, we were cruising around off the
coast of Florida trying to sight our snip
when the revenue cutter Harriet Lane V
in sight, and we turned our heels on her
and got up and fled. The Lane chased US
hot all that day, but when night came on
we lodged into a little river on the coast
and gave her the complete shake.
"She prowled around there and the next
day captured the Wanderer fifty miles
from where we were trying to sight her.
''That settled the business, and we aban'
doned the enterprise. l then went on tc